Gas filling apparatus



Jan. 21, 1964 H. v. HOLLAND GAS FILLING APPARATUS IIN VENTOR HUGH V.HOLLAND Filed Jan. 12, 1961 BY: J

United States Patent Oflice 3,118,575 Patented Jan. 21, 1964 3,118,576GAS FILLENG APPARATUS Hugh V. Hoiiand, 108 Meadow Lane, Oklahoma City,()kla. Filed Jan. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 82,326 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-509) Thisinvention relates to an apparatus for controlling a fluid flow and moreparticularly to an apparatus suitable for filling balloons and otherinflatable articles such as rubber boats and the like with a gas afterwhich the gas filling tube of said article is ejected from saidapparatus.

Various attempts have been made heretofore to design a suitableapparatus for filling such articles. These prior art devices haveconsisted of a nozzle for insertion into the filling tube of theinflatable article and a valve for controlling the flow of gas. Whensuch an apparatus is used the filling tube of the article being filledmust be removed by hand. This, of course, is time consuming.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to providea gas filling device that obviates the disadvantages of the prior artdevices.

It is another object of my invention to provide a gas filling apparatuswhereby the filling spout of the item being filled with gas can beeasily ejected after filling without touching the same with the hands.

It is another object of this invention to provide a gas fillingapparatus whereby the flow of gas can be easily and accuratelyregulated.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but afew of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may beemployed wherein like numerals are employed to designate like partsthroughout.

In said annexed drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing a preferredembodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view from the top of the device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 33 looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of the device of FIG- URE 1.

Referring to the drawings and to FIGURE 1 in particular the housing 6 isprovided with a passageway 39 which is attached to the fluid supply 15by means of the connection 14 which is preferably a screwed-inconnection. Valve stem 18 is mounted within the passageway 30 and isurged upwardly by the resilient means so that the valve element 23 is incontact with valve seat 29 thus closing the passageway. The valve stemis moved downwardly by moving lever 25} toward rigid arm 7 thus openingthe passageway. Resilient means 10 and 25 urge lever Ztl to the normalposition wherein the valve stem is seated thus closing the passageway.

Although it is believed that the operation of the device will beapparent from the foregoing description particularly when consideredwith the accompanying drawings, the following operating procedure willbe given for even greater clarity. The filling tube of the balloon orthe other item to be inflated is securely placed on nozzle 13. Thedesired amount of gas is then allowed to flow into the item to beinflated by opening the valve regulated by lever 2%}. After the item hasbeen inflated lever 2t is allowed to move to its normal position, lever8 is pressed downward toward rigid arm 7 which disengages catch 32 fromnotch 33. The pistons 21 move forward the distance denoted by 24 due tothe tension of resilient means 11 carrying disc 12 forward also which issuflicient to force the filling tube ofl nozzle 13.

While the foregoing description of the operation of the gas fillingdevice is particularly applicable to inflating balloons and similarobjects, the filling device has many other uses as will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. As one example of such an additional use, itmay be employed in charging the liquid contents of a con tainer with agas under pressure. A typical example of the latter is one in whichcream is packed in a con tainer under pressure of nitrous oxide gas sothat, when the pressure is released, the nitrous oxide will expand,causing the cream to fluff or expand into a product resembling whippedcream. A suitable container for this product (cream) is a tin canalthough many other materials may be used in the actual construction ofthe receptacle. The container, of course, must be liquid and gas tight.The tin can or other suitable receptacle pref erably is fitted with aself-seaiing plug (such as rubber) in one end thereof through which thenozzle 13 is inserted to charge the container with gas. After thedesired amount of gas has been injected into the container the nozzle iswithdrawn.

The latching means is reset by pushing the disc toward the housing 6until latch 32 engages notch 33. Tension means 16 holds the latchingmeans in engagement until a positive force is applied to lever 8.

Numeral 34 designates an adapter or coupling provided with closing meansand a passageway which leads to the main passageway 31}. As will beapparent to those skilled in the art, the purpose of this adapter or coupling is to provide means whereby the fluid supply container 15 may berecharged when necessary. If desired, a pressure gauge 35 may beinstalled on the opposite side of the housing 6 to that side to which 34is fitted as illustrated. It is to be understood that the use of thegauge is optional. When such a gauge is used it is necessary to providea passageway in the housing leading from the gauge to the mainpassageway 30.

An alternative by less preferred method of mounting the pushing member12 is by means of a single sleeve 21 which fits over and is in slidableengagement with the nozzle '13 rather than employing a pair of pistons.In this method a hole is drilled in the housing of the passageway 36. Aportion of this hole is then reamed out to a diameter larger than thenozzle to a point short of reaching the passageway 3%. This portionreamed out should be large enough to permit sleeve 21 to move freelytherein. After this is accomplished the nozzle is inserted securely inthe housing then the resilient member 11, sleeve 21 and pusl'n'ng member12 inserted in that order over the nozzle 13. Generally pushing member12 is securely attached to sleeve 21. As in the preferred embodiment ofthe invention the pushing member 12 is held in proximity to the housingby means of the latching means 32 and 33.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, itwill be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited theretosince many modifications may be made, and it is, therefore, contemplatedto cover by the appended claims any such modifications as fall withinthe true spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, for example, theresilient means may consist of a metallic spring under tension or it mayconsist of elastic means such as that provided by rubber or similarelastomer. Under some conditions a bellows arrangement may be used toprovide the necessary resilience.

' The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A fluid filling device, the combination comprising: a housing havinga passageway for connection to a fluid supply, valve means located insaid passageway, said valve means including a valve seat and a valvestem, said valve stem being movably mounted in said Valve means andcooperable with said valve seat to prevent fluid flow through saidpassageway and valve means at times while at other times permittingfluid flow therethrough, means for moving said valve stem, a nozzleprojecting from said housing having a passageway in communication withthe passageway in the housing, a pushing member slidably mounted on saidnozzle characterized in that the plane of said pushing member is at aright angle to the longitudinal axis of said nozzle, resilient meansurging said pushing member away from said housing, latching means forholding said pushing member in proximity to said housing therebycompressing said resilient means, the arrangement and construction ofsaid valve means and pushing member being such that either may beactuated independently of the other, and means for disengaging saidlatching means.

2. A fluid filling device, the combination comprising: a housing havinga passageway for connection to a fluid supply, valve means located insaid passageway, said valve means including a valve seat and a valvestem, said valve stem being movably mounted in said valve means andcooperable with said valve seat preventing fluid flow through saidpassageway and valve means at times while at other times permittingfluid flow therethrough, resilient means urging said valve stem to aposition wherein fluid is prevented from flowing through said passagewayand valve means, means for moving said valve stem, a nozzle projectingfrom said housing having a passageway in communication with thepassageway in the housing, a pushing member slidably mounted on saidnozzle characterized in that the plane of said pushing member is at aright angle to the longitudinal axis of said nozzle, resilient meansurging said pushing member away from said housing, latching means forholding said pushing member in proximity to said housing therebycompressing said resilient means, the arrangement and construction ofsaid valve means and pushing member being such that either may beactuated independently of the other, and means for disengaging saidlatching means.

3. The device of claim 2 where said resilient means urging said pushingmember away from said housing is a bellows.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,140,514 Haverstick et a1 May 25, 1915 1,494,709 Roberts May 20, 19241,881,106 Vogt et al Oct. 4, 1932 2,628,552 Jones et a1 Feb. 17, 19532,656,785 Gannon et a1 Oct. 27, 1953 2,926,705 Dorn Mar. 1, 1960

1. A FLUID FILLING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVINGA PASSAGEWAY FOR CONNECTION TO A FLUID SUPPLY, VALVE MEANS LOCATED INSAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING A VALVE SEAT AND A VALVESTEM, SAID VALVE STEM BEING MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID VALVE MEANS ANDCOOPERABLE WITH SAID VALVE SEAT TO PREVENT FLUID FLOW THROUGH SAIDPASSAGEWAY AND VALVE MEANS AT TIMES WHILE AT OTHER TIMES PERMITTINGFLUID FLOW THERETHROUGH, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID VALVE STEM, A NOZZLEPROJECTING FROM SAID HOUSING HAVING A PASSAGEWAY IN COMMUNICATION WITHTHE PASSAGEWAY IN THE HOUSING, A PUSHING MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAIDNOZZLE CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE PLANE OF SAID PUSHING MEMBER IS AT ARIGHT ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID NOZZLE, RESILIENT MEANSURGING SAID PUSHING MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID HOUSING, LATCHING MEANS FORHOLDING SAID PUSHING MEMBER IN PROXIMITY TO SAID HOUSING THEREBYCOMPRESSING SAID RESILIENT MEANS, THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OFSAID VALVE MEANS AND PUSHING MEMBER BEING SUCH THAT EITHER MAY BEACTUATED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER, AND MEANS FOR DISENGAGING SAIDLATCHING MEANS.